Railway cattle-guard.



J. G. CROSS.

RAILWAY CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1915.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH 20., WASHINGTON. u, c.

J. G. CROSS.

RAILWAY CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1915. 111,1 1 3. Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOSEPHVG. c'Ross, or EVERETT, WASHINGTON.

RAILWAY CATTLE-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

. Application filed June 1,1915. Seria1No.31,390.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH G. Cross, a citizen 'of the United States, residing at Everett, in the county of. Snohomish, State of lVashington, have invented a new; and useful Improvement in, Railway Cattle- Guards, of which the following is a specification. y

My invention relates to railway cattle guards, of the type employing a hinged gate member extending across the track, which is normally raised, and is depressed by the passage of a train.

The object of my invention is to provide a cattle guard which will extend across the track, which will be of suffieientheight to.

. prevent the passage of cattle, and whichwill be lowered automaticallyby the train to per- Init its passage. I

My invention comprises the novel parts and combinations ofpartswhich are herein illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the specification, and more particularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention in its present most preferred form.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my gateand the operating mechanism, a part thereof being broken away. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sec tion taken approximately half-way between the rails. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through my device, taken on the center line of the gate. Fig. 4: is a section through the railway rail and the operating bar of "my. device, showing the manner of pivoting said bar.

My device is of that class of cattle guards which employs a. gate extending transversely of the track, and plvoted at its lower edge so as to permit its depression while a train is passing and which is automatically raised after the passage of the train. A shaft 1 extends transversely of and beneath the rails 2, and to any distance at each side thereof. Shaft l is pivoted in suitable bearings 10.

A plurality of gate members, herein shown as rods 11, are secured to the shaft 1 in any suitable manner, and normally extend upward to prevent the passage of cattle.

Operating bars 3, preferably formed as angle bars, are pivoted close along the inner sides of the rails and extend lengthwise thereof. This bar 3 may be pivoted to the raiLQ, or to the tie, as may be desired, its pivot axis extending in the same direction as the rail and the bar itself. As shown, small castings 4: are secured upon the inside of bar 3, at suitable intervals, and are provided with pivot ears 41. Other castings-21 are securedto the rail 2 by bolts 22, and the castings 4 are pivoted therein at 23. These pivot points 23 should, preferably, be as close to the angle of the bar as possible, and should be far enough from the rail 2 to be outside of the path'of the flanges on the wheels of a train, as shown in Fig. 3. Bar 3 is thus pivoted so that one flange, 80, is in a horizontal plane, and at about the level of the rail tread, while the other flange, 31, being longer and heavier than flange 30, hangs vertically downward. The tendency of such a bar when pivoted in this manner, is to swing the lower flange under the pivot. The weight of the bars 3 is sufiicient to turn the gate and hold it in raised position. Flange 30 should extend close to rail 2, and is engaged and depressed by the flange on the wheels to operate the gate-lowering mechanism, as will be later described.

Alink 5 is'pivoted by one end to bar 3, preferably as low as possible thereon, as at 51, and at its other end is pivotedto a bellcrank lever 52. Bell-crank lever 52 is pivoted to the tie at 53. A crank arm 54 is secured to the shaft 1, as by set screw 55, and a link 56 is pivoted thereto. Link 56 is pivj oted at its other end to the bell-crank lever oreioa.

l/Vhen the flange 30 of operating bar 3 is depressed by engagement therewith of the flange on the wheel of a train, it imparts a movement to the crank arm 54, through. links 5 and 56 and bell-crank lever. 52. This turns shaft 1 and the gate members are depressed, and lie horizontally along the ties," As the shaft 1 is beneath the level of the ties,

the gate members 11 are offset slightly, as at 12, as shown' in Fig. 2, to permit of their lying flat. The position of the parts while a train is passing is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. V

It is desirable that there be operative links and levers as described above, at each side of the shaft 1 so that the movement of the gate up or down. willbe'actuated by a pull upon links 56 rather than a push, as would be the case at times if there were only one set. I have also shown a second complete set of operating members upon the opposite side of the track, and actuated by'a second operating bar 8, seoured'to the opposite rail.

It is obvious, however, that one of these'operating bars 3, withlits associated mechanism, would be sufli rent to operate the gate,

though I prefer to use two sets. These bars 3 may also extend to any convenient distancealon the track from the ate'menr. t1 t3 bers l1, and the ends thereof should be far enough away to give the gate time to come to rest upon the ties before the train passes over it. v 1 a I claim as my invention- I t 1. A railway cattle guard comprising a pivotedv gate bar, gate jmembers' secured thereto and normally held in vertical position an o eratin bar )ivoted' to the railway rail and lying close, alongside thereof with its pivot axis extending in the same direction the rail, and'adapted to be depressed by a train, a link pivoted at one end to said operating bar and at its other end to,

a bell-crank lever, ajbell-crank lev,er,-a crank arm secured upon said'pivoted gate bar, and a second linkjpivoted at :one end to said crank arm, vand at its other end to said bellcrank lever, whereby said gate members may beswung to a horizontal position during the passage of a train. 7 a

2. A railway cattle guard comprlsmg a pivoted gate bar, gate members secured thereto and normally held in vertical posij tion,'an operating bar pivoted tothe railway rail and lying close alongside thereof, and

adapted to bedepressedby the flange on the wheels of a passing train,saidpivotpoints being inside of the path of said flanges, and

extending in the same direction asthe rail, a..

link pivoted at one endto said operating bar and at its other end to a bell-crank lever, a bell-crank lever, a crank arm secured upon said pivoted grate bar, and a second link pivoted atone end tosaid crank arm and at its other end to said bell-crank lever, whereby 'saidgate membersmaybe swung to hori- V pivot axis extending lengthwise of and in the same-direction as the rail,and adapted Copies of thispatent may be ,obtainedfor five centseach, by addressing ;tlie"Gommis sion er of Patents,

of a train, said pivot points being inside the a path of said flanges, a flange depending from said operating bar and adapted to hold said bar in raised position, a link pivoted at one end to said flange at a point lower than said first pivot points, and at its other end to a bell-crank lever, a bell-crank lever, a crank arm secured upon said pivoted gate bar a second linkcomposed of two separate parts pivoted at one end tosaid crank arm and at its other end'to' said bell-crank lever, and a extending lengthwise'of and inside the'rails with one flange occupying-a substantla'lly horizontal plane close inside ofand'at approximately the level of-the rail tread, the 7 other flange extending downward from the inner edge of the first named flange, said angle bars being pivoted upon axes extending lengthwise thereof and closely adjacent the apex of the angle between the flanges,

and operative member's connecting the de pending flange with the pivoted gate to depress the gate when the freeedge of the horizontal flange is depressed by the wheel flanges. u p

5; A railway cattle guard comprising a pivot shaft extending transversely'of and beneath the railway rail, gate members se' cured to said shaft and containing an offset turned into horizontal positions which are belowthe level of the rail treads, angle bars mounted-on pivotswhich extend lengthwise said bars and the rails, in position to have r the outer edge of one flange engaged and degate, the pivot axis of said angle bars being so vdisposed that the weight of the angle bar acts to normally maintainjthe gate and the flange which is depressed by the 'Wheel;

flangea'inf' raised positions.

Josnrii o. ososs.

Washington, D. G. 

